International Hydrogen Energy Center urges joint efforts to tap potential of hydrogen energy

The international community should redouble efforts and work together to unlock the full potential of hydrogen energy to seek a zero-carbon development path while cutting the energy's high costs, said Fu Xiaolong, deputy director of the International Hydrogen Energy Center (IHEC).

The presidency of the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29) has proposed a new annual climate finance goal of 1.3 trillion U.S. dollars by 2035, with developed nations urged to contribute 250 billion U.S. dollars annually to support developing countries.

Hydrogen energy is also in focus as a key solution for zero-carbon growth, but high costs and limited applications remain barriers.

In a recent interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN) on the sidelines of the COP29 in Baku, capital of Azerbaijan, Fu highlighted global cooperation and innovation to make clean energy affordable for developing nations.

"To accelerate the development of hydrogen energy, we must advance both technological and industrial innovation. Our focus includes developing next-generation materials, hydrogen production platforms and integrated control systems to enhance efficiency and reduce costs. Expanding clean hydrogen's role in low-carbon fuel production such as green ammonia, green methanol and SAF (sustainable aviation fuel) is essential," he said.

"It is crucial for countries to leverage their unique strengths within the hydrogen value chain and engage into global cooperation through the hydrogen trade network. The IHEC will continue integrate into UNIDO's (United Nations Industrial Development Organization) global cooperation network, starting with hydrogen energy and aiming to enable affordable zero-carbon industrial development in developing countries, and leverage China's technical and industrial strengths in hydrogen energy," Fu said.

The COP29 which opened on Nov 11, brought together negotiators to discuss strategies for reducing carbon emissions, achieving carbon neutrality and advancing the transition to green technologies.

The IHEC is a globally influential technology innovation hub for hydrogen energy. The Beijing-based center was established by the Tsinghua Industrial R&D Institute (TIDRI) under the auspices of the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Economy and Information Technology (BEIT) and China International Center for Economic and Technical Exchanges (CICETE), and supported by UNIDO.

International Hydrogen Energy Center urges joint efforts to tap potential of hydrogen energy

Heavy snow has blanketed roads and pastures in the northern part of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region over the past two days, with authorities responding by taking timely measures to ensure smooth flow of traffic and the safety of people and livestock.

In Urumqi, capital city of Xinjiang, the snowfall lasted a whole day till Saturday afternoon, with the maximum snow depth reaching 20 centimeters.

The municipal urban management department has worked overnight and sent heavy snow plowing vehicles and thousands of sanitation workers to clear the snow off roads.

"The Tianshan District sanitation department has deployed 157 snow plowing vehicles to remove the snow from all the main and secondary roads in the urban area, and has organized 1,616 sanitation workers to clear the snow off the main and secondary roads, laneways and sidewalks in the urban area," said Zhang Haibing, a sanitation management official.

Traffic police in the city have issued a warning of severe weather conditions and have increased patrols over and presence at intersections to direct traffic.

Similar snow response measures have also been taken in the county-level regions of Changji, Fukang and Manas in Changji Hui Autonomous Prefecture.

In the southern mountainous areas of Manas County, the snow depth has reached 10 centimeters, and the temperature has dropped to minus eight degrees Celsius.

Herdsmen at the Shihuiyaozi Village in Manas on Saturday drove their livestock from the nearby autumn pastures to a breeding center kilometers away, where they can keep the animals warm and have sufficient fodder.

"Bracing for this snowfall, we have alarmed herdsmen in the areas under our jurisdiction in advance, instructed them to drive livestock back to warm shelters in a timely manner, and keep reserving winter fodder, and alerted the herdsmen on livestock wintering risks to ensure the safety of livestock in the winter season," said Lu Yaoyong, a town official in Manas.

So far, over 90 percent of the more than 300,000 heads of cattle and sheep in Manas have been relocated from autumn pastures to warm shelters for wintering.

Northwest China's Xinjiang hit by heavy snowfall